The invention relates to a device for adjusting the steering angle of at least one steerable wheel of a vehicle, having sensor means for detecting the locking angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle and having a controller which corrects the steering angle of the wheel generated by steering wheel adjustment as a function of a reference value which is dependent on the driving speed and the locking angle.
Conventional cars have large differences in respect of their reaction to steering commands, brake maneuvers and acceleration processes. Small sports cars react differently from, for example, large limousines. Furthermore, the reaction of a specific vehicle is dependent on the loading, on the state of its tires and on the condition of the road etc., so that the driver always has to carry out an adaptive control.
The chassis characteristics can be improved by active or semi active suspension/damping arrangements. These are to be understood as actuators lying parallel to the vehicle suspension which are influenced as a function of the driving condition variables present in each case.
In conventional vehicles, a pleasant behavior when driving around bends, namely a neutral or understeering behavior is desired.
The dynamic characteristics of a vehicle are of course also determined by means of the steering. On the one hand, it is intended to relieve the driver and on the other hand to achieve a high degree of driving safety. Thus, the German Offenlegungsschrift 37 34 477 discloses a device for controlling the steering angle of the wheels of a vehicle in which the steering wheel locking angle and the driving speed are fed to a controller via a reference value determining system, the controller driving the actuator for steerable wheels. The controller also receives data from a vehicle-monitoring system.